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Local News: December 8, 2023

Man accused of setting fire that killed 30 horses at Tioga Downs pleads not guilty The man charged with setting a fire that killed 30 racehorses in Tioga County was in court on Friday. Fenton Boyd is charged with arson, burglary, criminal mischief, and assault for the fire at Tioga Downs race track in November. One person who tried to save the horses received second-degree burns. Boyd pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Tioga County Court. Bail is set at $250,000. Ulysses residents defeat town plan to pay $210,000 for land for recreational fields Voters in the town of Ulysses rejected a land purchase in a special election held on Wednesday. Residents…

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Fund Drive Update: With Your Help, WE DID IT!

By Felix Teitelbaum

WE DID IT! Thanks to the incredible support of over 80 donors in the Finger Lakes and beyond, we raised over $10,000 in the past week! Your generosity ensures that we can continue opening ears, minds, and hearts across the Southern Finger Lakes. THANK YOU for making a real impact! Your contribution supports: Amplifying the…

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FEATURE: Conversation with Interfaith Leaders

By Celia Clarke

Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October there have been several separate rallies in Ithaca supporting Palestine or Israel. Public emotions ran high when the Tompkins County Legislature briefly considered a resolution in support of Israel and flying the Israeli flag in the legislative chamber.  It was around that time,…

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WINO, Watkins Glen is Off the Air

By Felix Teitelbaum

We’re sorry to announce to our Watkins Glen listeners that we have gone off the air on 91.9FM as of Friday, November 10. This change will not affect our signals at 88.1FM in Ithaca, or 89.7FM across the Southern Finger Lakes. Nor will it affect our webstream heard here at WRFI.ORG. In fact many Watkins…

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ELECTION FEATURE: Ithaca Common Council Ward 5 Candidate Jason Houghton

By Celia Clarke

WRFI Community Radio and The Ithaca Voice are bringing you conversations with candidates in the contested Ithaca Common Council races and the mayoral race. Tonight Matt Butler interviews Ward 5 candidate Jason Houghton. Houghton is running on the Ithacans for Progress ballot line. His opponent is Clyde Lederman, running on the Democratic Party and Working…

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Daily features and interviews from our community

Coronavirus Update, June 23, 2020

By WRFI News Staff | June 23, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Update, June 23, 2020

Cornell University announced yesterday that two of the four committees appointed by President Martha Pollack have submitted their reports for plans for the fall semester. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, the 97 page report from the Committee on Teaching Re-activation Operations gave the first glimpse at some of the possible changes coming to the…

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Coronavirus Update, June 19, 2020

By WRFI News Staff | June 19, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Update, June 19, 2020

In Tompkins County the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 stands at 166 as of Friday. According to the Tompkins county health department. There are 4 more recoveries in the county, bringing the total recoveries to 162. There are no new confirmed cases of the virus in Schuyler County as of Friday. According to health…

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Coronavirus Update, June 18, 2020

By WRFI News Staff | June 18, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Update, June 18, 2020

In tandem with nationwide figures, Tompkins County has also experienced a dramatic increase in unemployment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, reports the Cornell Daily Sun. The rate rose from 3.5 percent to 10.5 percent between March and April. The county has previously been known for distinctively low unemployment, but April marked the most…

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A Preview of Ithaca’s Juneteenth 2020 Rally: Decriminalize, Demilitarize, Decarcerate [AUDIO]

By Esther Racoosin | June 18, 2020 | Comments Off on A Preview of Ithaca’s Juneteenth 2020 Rally: Decriminalize, Demilitarize, Decarcerate [AUDIO]

Local activists are observing Juneteenth with a rally taking place in downtown Ithaca at the Bernie Milton Pavillion on Friday, June 19th, 2020 at 12 pm. The theme of the rally is: Decriminalize, Demilitarize, Decarcerate.  WRFI Community Radio News contributor Esther Racoosin speaks with Taili Mugambee and Savannah Gonzalez, two of the organizers of the…

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